Preparation and characterization of zinc-doped gallophosphate molecular sieve

The effect of Zn doping on crystallization of gallophosphate molecular sieve, cloverite, synthesized hydrothermally at 170°C, using starting gels with ZnO, was investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, etc. The SEM observations and crystallinities estimated from XRD data revealed that Zn-doped cloverite with very good crystallinity was successfully prepared, and the addition of ZnO to the starting gel was effective in promoting the crystallization process in a short reaction time. The results of chemical analyses, estimated unit cell dimensions, and MD simulations suggested the substitution of Zn atoms for Ga atoms in the framework of Zn-doped cloverite.